Spatiotemporal Variations and Determinants of Under-Five Stunting in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Stunting has been a major concern in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little evidence exists on the spatiotemporal variations in under-five stunting within a national context. OBJECTIVE: This paper examines the spatiotemporal variations in under-five stunting and determinants using data from the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys (2000-2016). METHODS: Spatial autocorrelation and multilevel logistic regression models were used to conduct the analyses. RESULTS: The stunting prevalence has decreased from 51% to 37%, while the prevalence of severe stunting has decreased by more than half (from 28% to 12%). Wide regional variations in stunting have been consistently observed over the years, which exhibited a higher level of stunting in Tigray (48%), Afar (42%), and Amhara (42%). The results show considerable local and regional variations in under-five stunting levels with diverse patterns of improvements in regional stunting levels over time. Stunting levels were associated with child-level factors such as the sex of a child, birth size, age of a child, birth order, preceding birth interval, and place of birth. Maternal educational attainment, nutritional status, household wealth, toilet facility type, and place of residence were linked to under-five stunting. The regional-level infant mortality rate was associated with under-five stunting. CONCLUSIONS: Specially tailored policies and interventions should be devised to address persistent spatial inequalities in stunting by focusing on higher risk populations.

Life-Threatening Complications Associated with Bladder Decompression: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: The clinical course of patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with urinary retention is usually uneventful. In this case, we explore the life-threatening complications of urinary retention and bladder decompression. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 57-year-old man who presented to the ED with difficulty voiding. A urinary catheter was placed. The patient had severe post-obstructive diuresis. He developed hematuria and became hypotensive. After aggressive resuscitation, including blood products, the patient required operative intervention for hemorrhage control. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be aware of and be able to manage the rare but life-threatening complications associated with urinary retention.

Parental Origins, Mixed Unions, and the Labor Supply of Second-Generation Women in the United States.

This study examines the joint impact of parental origins and partner choice on the employment behavior of second-generation women in the United States. We find that endogamy (choosing a first- or second-generation partner from the same national-origin group) is associated with lower labor supply among second-generation women, net of the effects of parental origin culture as proxied using the epidemiological approach to cultural transmission. Parental origin effects are mediated by education, but endogamy curtails economic activity regardless of educational attainment. The findings are robust for married women. Findings for women in cohabiting unions are more heterogeneous, however: cohabitation appears to mute some of the relationship between parental origin culture and women's economic behavior. In particular, the negative relationship between endogamy and women's labor supply does not hold for women in cohabiting unions.

Denial of service to same-sex and interracial couples: Evidence from a national survey experiment.

Legislatures and courts are debating whether businesses can deny services to same-sex couples for religious reasons. Yet, little is known about public views on this issue. In a national survey experiment, Americans (n = 2035) responded to an experimental vignette describing a gay or interracial couple refused service. Vignettes varied the reason for refusal (religion/nonreligious) and by business type (individual/corporation). Results confirm greater support of service refusal by the self-employed than by corporations and to gay couples than to interracial couples. However, religious reasons for refusal to gay couples elicit no more support than do nonreligious reasons. In the first national study to experimentally analyze views on service refusal to sexual minorities, we demonstrate that views vary by several factors but not by whether the refusal was for religious reasons.